How DE BLASIO's aide slipped through the cracks — Newborn's mother dies in MTA — Amazon's lobbying army

Apparently there’s a very serious loophole in the New York City government’s notoriously rigorous background check system for hiring new employees, our Sally Goldenberg reports.

The 41-page document asks applicants to explain their “reason for leaving” each job they have held over the prior 10 years. They have to provide prior employers’ contact information, and explain if they’ve ever been disciplined “in any manner, in connection with any employment (e.g. suspended, demoted, reprimanded, fined, penalized or terminated)?” Applicants have to explain if they have ever resigned from a job, pending disciplinary action or to avoid being fired, or have simply been asked to resign.

And yet, a substantiated sexual harassment allegation against career political staffer Kevin O’Brien, which led to his firing from a high-level post at the Democratic Governors Association, did not stop him from getting hired in 2016 as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy chief of staff, a $175,000-a-year job. He was promoted to acting chief of staff and senior adviser, ultimately earning more than $220,000.

It was only after two women accused O’Brien of sexual harassment last year that he was forced to quit City Hall. He was allowed to resign and receive pay for unused vacation, and then took a job at Hilltop Public Solutions, a national political consulting firm that worked on de Blasio’s mayoral campaigns.

None of the bureaucratic fail-safes baked in to the system to keep people with histories of substantiated sexual harassment complaints from getting hired at important city jobs worked. City Hall wasn’t ever going to make this information public, because they said it could compromise the privacy of the women who survived the harassment.

Hilltop says it had no clue when they hired him that O’Brien had left the mayor’s office because of sexual harassment claims. He was fired from his position after the news became public. And a spokesperson for Mayor de Blasio said the mayor had no idea about the substantiated harassment charge when he hired O’Brien. A Department of Investigation spokesperson, Diane Struzzi, said the agency checked O’Brien’s references and did not discover any “adverse information” to flag for City Hall when he was being vetted for his high-level job.

And while O’Brien would not agree to be interviewed by POLITICO, a spokesperson said he “filled out all forms to the best of his knowledge and believes them to be accurate.” The spokesperson declined to answer follow-up questions.

It’s a complicated story but one thing seems plain — somebody’s not telling us the truth.

WHERE’S BILL? Making an education-related announcement in the Bronx with City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza.

A message from AARP New York:

The big drug companies rake in billions while Americans are forced to pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. We’re calling on New York state lawmakers to work together and pass bipartisan legislation that puts people before profits. Stop the greed. Cut prescription drug prices now. action.AARP.org/StopRxGreedNY

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

THIS WEEK, VIEWERS OF CNBC WILL BE TREATED TO A SPECIAL PLEA FOR CONGESTION PRICING underwritten by a network talking head who also happens to sit on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority: real estate magnate Scott Rechler. The six-figure ad says it was “Paid for by the Regional Plan Association,” but it was, more precisely, underwritten by the association’s chair, Scott Rechler, via the RPA. Momentum does seem to be building for Albany to pass a congestion pricing plan this session, one that would toll drivers to enter Manhattan's central business district and send much of the resulting revenue to the MTA. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for one, now backs congestion pricing. But the idea is encountering some ambivalence in the state Legislature, and Rechler argues that its passage is no sure thing. “If I thought it was a sure thing I wouldn't be underwriting the ad,” Rechler said. The minute-long ad will also air during CNN New Day, CNN State of the Union, MSNBC's Morning Joe, during the Sunday talk shows, and on NY1. — POLITICO’s Dana Rubinstein

“NEW YORK MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO SAYS HE’S TURNING THE CITY INTO A MODEL FOR HOW THE NATION CAN PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO ALL, INCLUDING THE POOR, the uninsured and undocumented immigrants. In doing so, he boasts he’s saved the city’s public hospitals from bankruptcy and can provide universal care for just $100 million by steering New Yorkers away from emergency rooms and into managed-care clinics.

Yet he may have promised more than he can deliver. The system of 11 hospitals -- which already provide free care to the uninsured -- costs taxpayers more than $2 billion a year, while scheduled federal Medicaid cuts threaten another $1 billion or more in the next year. Those pressures may far outstrip the savings he expects to reap from his proposal, according to private and government analysts familiar with the agency known as NYC Health + Hospitals.” Bloomberg’s Henry Goldman

“A SENIOR AIDE TO ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ DUMPED ON CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER COREY JOHNSON TUESDAY, accusing him of being a political opportunist trying to ride the congresswoman’s progressive coattails to become mayor. Naureen Akhter, Ocasio-Cortez’s deputy district director, attacked Johnson on Twitter after the speaker announced he’s mulling a 2021 mayoral race with a self-imposed contribution cap of $250 to limit the influence of big money. To make her case, Akhter — who worked in the congresswoman’s campaign that defeated veteran Rep. Joseph Crowley — accused Johnson of being two-faced. ‘1. Crowley appoints Johnson as Speaker. 2. Crowley’s brother gets discretionary funding from Johnson 3. AOC beats Crowley on a platform of no corporate money 4. Johnson rejects corporate money for his mayoral bid[.] Where do we go from here, folks?’ she tweeted.” New York Post’s Rich Calder

“THE MESSAGES LANDED IN MAILBOXES ACROSS QUEENS LIKE CLOCKWORK: glossy fliers, such as those from a political campaign, extolling a deal that would bring Amazon to Long Island City, paid for by Amazon. With smiling faces and iconic Queens scenes, three rounds of fliers arrived in recent weeks as part of a concerted effort by the company to reset its image after the mostly disastrous rollout of its plans for a corporate campus in New York City … The company is expected to offer a few salves to skeptics on Wednesday at a City Council hearing: It will hire public housing residents to work at a new 30-person customer service center and establish a certificate program at LaGuardia Community College to help students gain entry-level technology jobs. The company also announced that it would fund computer science courses at more than 130 New York high schools.” New York Times’s J. David Goodman

AMAZON’S LOBBYING ARMY: The corporate giant has retained at least six powerhouse lobbying firms for the coming year. Featherstonhaugh, Wiley and Clyne has a $60,000-a-year, $5,000-a-month yearlong lobbying contract with Amazon, inked in December of 2018, lobbying records filed with the state show. Amazon is also paying the firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson, LLP an estimated $120,000 for a year’s worth of lobbying. Their hourly rates? $1,180-$1,550 an hour for work from its partners, $1,075-$1,140 an hour for special counsel, $575-$1000 an hour for associates and $295-$420 an hour for paralegals. Amazon’s also hired Greenberg Traurig at a rate of $30,000 a month, Whiteman Osterman and Hanna for $15,000 a month, and Yoswein New York at a rate of $20,000 a month.The firm SKDKnickerbocker is working for Amazon pro-bono, a lobbying registration filed with JCOPE shows. — Laura Nahmias

“THE TEAMSTERS ARE JOINING THE COALITION CAMPAIGNING AGAINST THE MASSIVE TAX CREDIT AND SUBSIDY PACKAGE awarded by city and state politicians to land an Amazon headquarters in Queens. ‘Wherever Amazon goes, the company has a track record of mistreating workers and violating their rights,’ said Teamsters Council 16 president George Miranda. ‘If the company will not change its ways, it should not expect $3 billion of subsidies from taxpayers.’ Council 16 includes more than two dozen Teamsters locals, including Local 237, which reps thousands of city employees.” New York Post's Nolan Hicks

A VERY SPECIAL SPECIAL ELECTION: “Tuesday’s Board Of Elections hearings, full of technical snafus, resulted in a 17-person ballot with some unexpected outcomes for the Feb. 26 Publica Advocate’s election...Danniel Maio, on the ‘I Like Maio’ line...fought two separate objections but ultimately succumbed to both. The registered Republican filed 1,080 signatures of the requires 3,750. After thanking the board and the “dedicated” BOE, Maio seemed to retire from future elections. ‘This is my last race,’ he said before making a spirited debate to remain on the ballot. His attempts were futile and he will not be on next month’s ballot. As was the fate of Theo Chino, who ran on the ‘Courage to Change’ Party. According to the BOE, the candidate filed 60 of the 3,750 required signatures.” BKLNER’s Kadia Goba

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

“STATE SEN. BOB ANTONACCI HAS ACCEPTED A JOB at a Syracuse law firm even though New York lawmakers face a ban on outside income next year as a condition of a $50,500 pay raise. Antonacci, R-Onondaga, will serve as general counsel at the firm Costello, Cooney and Fearon, the firm announced Monday night. Robert Smith, the law firm’s CEO, said in a statement that Antonacci will be based in its downtown Syracuse office. He did not disclose how much money Antonacci will be paid in the new post. Members of the state Assembly and Senate will face strict limits on outside income starting in 2020 under terms of a pay raise plan approved last year by an independent commission.

...Antonaccisaid in an interview Tuesday that he will step down from the law firm post next year if courts uphold the limits on outside income. He said he will not draw a fixed salary at the law firm or work as a full-time employee.” Syracuse Post Standard's Mark Weiner

"THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD HAS FINALLY RECEIVED ACCESS to the limousine involved in the Oct. 6 crash that killed 20 people. But it could take some time before the federal agency releases its findings about what caused the calamity: To get the opportunity to examine the vehicle, the NTSB agreed it would not share the results of its investigation until the criminal prosecution of one of the limo company's operators has concluded. ‘We look forward to continuing our safety investigation, and to conducting an examination of the crash vehicle,’ said NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss in a statement. Nauman Hussain, 28, the son of the limo's owner, faces a charge of criminally negligent homicide. Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery and Hussain's attorney, Lee Kindlon, told state Supreme Court Justice George Barlett III on Tuesday that they feared release of a report about the crash — the subject of nationwide coverage for months — would taint the jury for Hussain's upcoming trial.” Albany Times-Union

“IN ORDER TO SAVE THE MTA, CUOMO SAYS HE MAY HAVE TO DESTROY THE MTA — or its power structure at least. Nobody wants to take the $325,000 a year job of running the city’s struggling public transportation system because it’s a thankless position burdened by an outdated and muddled hierarchy, Gov. Cuomo said Tuesday at an Albany news conference. Cuomo, speaking at an event for gun control bills, was asked about finding a new leader for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — a positions he must fill by June when lawmakers go home. ‘Who would take that job?’ he said, adding that he wants to first break up the “entrenched problems” beleaguering the agency.” New York DAily News

— A YOUNG MOTHER DIED MONDAY NIGHT AFTER FALLING DOWN A SUBWAY-STATION STAIRCASE with her one-year-old daughter, a tragedy that advocates say highlights a rarely-discussed issue: the subway system's inaccessibility to caregivers toting babies, and their accoutrements. Malaysia Goodson, 22, died after falling down stairs at the Seventh Avenue subway station, located at 53rd Street. She was reportedly seen entering the station with her child in a stroller. Like roughly three-quarters of subway stations in New York City, the Seventh Avenue station has no elevator. POLITICO’s Samantha Maldonado

A message from AARP New York:

The big drug companies continue to rake in billions while Americans are forced to pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. Too many New Yorkers end up having to choose between buying medication and buying food for their families—and it has to stop. We’re calling on New York state lawmakers to support solutions like allowing the importation of safe, affordable, FDA-approved prescription drugs from other countries. What’s more, we need our representatives to expose the shady deals that brand name drug companies make to delay the release of affordable generic medications. Now is the time for New York lawmakers to work together and pass bipartisan legislation that puts people before profits. Tell your lawmakers to stop the greed. Cut prescription drug prices now. action.AARP.org/StopRxGreedNY

... 2020 VISION ...

— Per a tipster: “ABNY will be announcing it has formed a 2020 census organizing and action committee led by Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, and Carl Weisbrod, senior advisor at HR&A Advisors, Inc. and former chairman of the New York City Planning Commission, and Steven Rubenstein, ABNY chair. The Census 2020 for a Better New York committee is comprised of corporate, non-profit, community and union leaders seeking to achieve the most accurate census count possible.”

“IF THE MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, CAN RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN THE ALREADY CROWDED 2020 DEMOCRATIC FIELD, why shouldn’t the mayors of New York and Los Angeles? After all, each city is bigger and more complicated than plenty of states. But there’s just one thing that Bill de Blasio, who’s not ruling out a race, and Eric Garcetti, who just did, ought to remember about the last time the mayors of the Big Apple and the City of Angels decided they were best suited to topple a controversial Republican president: It didn’t turn out so good.” The Atlantic’s Todd S. Purdum

AROUND NEW YORK

— Sen. Joe Griffo talked about filling in for Minority Leader John Flanagan and life out of power.

— The Seneca Nation is exploring, but not fully sold on, offering sports betting at its casinos when its authorized.

— Monroe County Clerk Adam Bello, a Democrat, will challenge County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo this fall.

— MGM officially closed on its purchase of the Empire City racino in Yonkers.

REAL ESTATE WITH SALLY GOLDENBERG AND JANAKI CHADHA

A BILL THAT WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING SET ASIDE FOR HOMELESS NEW YORKERS now has enough sponsors in the City Council to override a veto, as the de Blasio administration remains resistant to the idea. The legislation, introduced by Council Member Rafael Salamanca, would require developments receiving city subsidies to set aside 15 percent of housing units for the homeless. Proponents say increased housing supply is needed to address the city's enduring homelessness crisis, but the de Blasio administration argues the bill would hinder its ability to produce affordable housing. With 34 Council Members now signed on in support, a Council vote on Intro 1211 could override a mayoral veto, presuming all the current sponsors vote in favor. POLITICO’s Janaki Chadha.

“SKYSCRAPERS SUCH AS THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, 1 WORLD TRADE CENTER AND A GROWING PACK OF ULTRA-TALL LUXURY APARTMENT TOWERS may dominate the city's skyline, but one building commands more eyeballs than any other. Every New Year's Eve, 1 Times Square becomes the center of attention for roughly a billion people around the world, who tune in to watch the ball drop on its roof. The 23-story building's owner, Jamestown, is beginning a redevelopment of the property to take better advantage of its global cachet. The firm, which recently bought out its partner in the property, has unveiled a multimillion-dollar project to replace the building's collection of billboards with 32,000 square feet of new signage.” Crain’s Daniel Geiger.

THE HOME TEAMS, BY HOWARD MEGDAL

Nets 122, Bulls 117: This was an absolute trap game, second half of a back-to-back. That the Nets escaped with the win, on a night Joe Harris was uncharacteristically quiet, only further supports the evidence that this is a playoff team. I remain a D’Angelo Russell skeptic, but 30 points, zero turnovers: hey, I could be wrong.

The day ahead: Luka Doncic and the Mavs come to The Garden, go give him a look. In men’s college hoops, Canisius visits Niagara.

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About The Author : Laura Nahmias

Laura Nahmias is a reporter for POLITICO New York, covering City Hall and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Before she began covering City Hall, she wrote about Albany politics for POLITICO New York. She has also written for City and State, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Laura earned her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, before earning a Masters Degree in Journalism at Columbia University.

About The Author : Nick Niedzwiadek

Nick Niedzwiadek is a reporter for POLITICO New York. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has previously written for the Times Union and the Wall Street Journal.

About The Author : Daniel Lippman

Daniel Lippman is a reporter for POLITICO and a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Before joining POLITICO, he was a fellow covering environmental news for E&E Publishing and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He has also interned for McClatchy Newspapers and Reuters. During a stint freelancing in 2013, he traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to cover the impact of the Syrian civil war for The Huffington Post and CNN.com.

He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time.